Vesey scores twice, Rangers hold off Bruins

NEW YORK -- Jimmy Vesey scored two goals in 29 seconds to help the New York Rangers defeat the Boston Bruins 4-2 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday and win their fifth straight game.
Vesey, who had two goals in 16 games before Wednesday, broke a 1-1 tie in the first period to give the Rangers the lead. He put a bouncing puck that Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo was unable to clear past Tuukka Rask at 14:41 to make it 2-1 before scoring again at 15:10 off a rebound of a shot by Kevin Shattenkirk for a 3-1 lead.

"I've been trying to have good habits in my game -- finishing checks, stopping in front of the net -- and I had two pucks just land there for me, but I'll take them," Vesey said. "I got a couple of greasy ones tonight and maybe it will take off from here."
WATCH: [All Bruins vs. Rangers highlights]
It was the second two-goal game of Vesey's NHL career. He also scored twice in a 4-2 win against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 22, 2016.
"There's a complete 200-foot game and tonight the positive thing and the confidence builder for him is he was able to finish on a couple of those and he went to the tough areas," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "So that's definitely, as far as finishing and contributing, that's a real positive step for him."

Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for the Rangers (8-7-2).
"We played a really smart game," Lundqvist said. "We set the tone in the first period, great energy. After they tied the game we raised it to another level and guys made some really big plays for us. The things that really didn't go our way in the first eight, nine games of the season, I feel like now we are cashing in on that."
David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron scored for the Bruins (6-5-3), and Rask made 29 saves. Boston lost for the second time in regulation in its past nine games (4-2-3) and was 0-for-4 on the power play; they are 1-for-13 in their past four games.
"You want to get results on [the power play] and right now we are not getting them," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We needed one on the specialty teams tonight. It certainly would have helped."

Pavel Buchnevich gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 9:53 of the first period, skating around Zdeno Chara, cutting in close on Rask and putting the puck over his shoulder. It was his sixth goal in seven games.
Pastrnak answered for the Bruins 21 seconds later to make it 1-1 with his ninth goal of the season. Bergeron's shot went off the end boards and came to Pastrnak, who tucked it under Lundqvist's pads.
"We have to prepare for the game and be ready as a team from the first face-off," Pastrnak said. "The last couple of games we were slow, and we can't win every game when we let the other team get the first couple of goals."
Bergeron scored to make it 3-2 at 6:44 of the third period.
"It would be a lot easier on ourselves if we start from the drop of the puck and establish what we've been doing in the last 40 minutes for most games," Bergeron said.
Rick Nash scored an empty-net goal with 7.7 seconds remaining to make it 4-2.

Goal of the game

Pastrnak's goal at 10:14 of the first period.

Save of the game

Lundqvist's stop on Bergeron at 6:36 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Buchnevich's goal at 9:53 of the first period.

They said it

"We are confident. We are starting to win some games. We know close games can go the other way and we've been working hard all year long to get us into position to win these types of hockey games. ... We have to keep working and keep grabbing points when we are on a roll like this." -- Rangers defenseman Marc Staal
"In this league it's tough to come back. We had a couple of moral victories, or whatever you call them, and we showed that we do have some character and we are willing to fight to the last whistle. We just have to learn quickly here not to put ourselves behind the eight ball." -- Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy

Need to know

Chara played in his 834th career game with the Bruins, passing Dit Clapper for fourth-most by a defenseman in team history. ... Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, a Long Beach, New York, native, played his first game as a pro at MSG. He was minus-2 in 23:43. ... Vigneault coached his 1,151st NHL game, tying him with Marc Crawford for 16th on the all-time list. ... Vesey is the first Rangers player to score two goals in 29 seconds or fewer since Jaromir Jagr scored twice in 26 seconds against the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 14, 2006, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Bruins center Brad Marchand missed his second straight game because of an upper-body injury.

What's next

Bruins: At the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, NESN, NHL.TV)
Rangers: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; MSG, SNW, NHL.TV)